Goguryeo thrived for 705 years from 37 B.C., when it was founded to A.D. 668, when it collapsed, and its historical achievements was the source of enormous pride to its descendants. Like most nations from that time, Goguryeo started out from a modest beginning at the Zolbon area in the Yalu River valley.

The royal mausoleum of King Jangsu (r. A.D. 413-491) is the prime example. It stands like a pyramid that measures 31 meters each side and stands 13 meters high, a reason that it is dubbed the 'Pyramid of the East.' There are over 10,000 stone tombs of this style and others (stone chambers covered with dirt on top) still extant; one of them measures 71 meters each side. Tomb guards used to take care of the mausoleums of kings and aristocrats and ceremonial services have taken place on a regular basis.